Week 16 of the 2021 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, December 23 (5:20 p.m. PT) as the San Francisco 49ers (8-6) visit the Tennessee Titans (9-5) in a key, late-season interconference matchup between teams currently in playoff position. Tennessee leads the AFC South and currently holds the No. 3 seed in its conference, while San Francisco currently stands as the No. 6 seed in the NFC. The 49ers lead the all-time regular-season series between the clubs, 9-5, including winning each of the past two meetings. In Week 15 of the 2017 season, San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould converted a game-winning 45-yard field goal as time expired to secure the 25-23 victory. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo passed for 381 yards and a touchdown with a 106.8 rating in the win.
The 49ers enter Thursday, having won each of their past two games and five of their past six games overall. In their 31-13 victory over Atlanta last week, Garoppolo completed 18 of 23 pass attempts (78.3 percent) for 235 yards and a touchdown with a 123.7 rating. He has recorded a passer rating of 90-or-higher in eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in the league. In five of six road starts this season, Garoppolo has recorded a passer rating of 100-or-higher with no interceptions. Running back Jeff Wilson rushed for a season-high 110 yards and had his first rushing touchdown of the season in Week 15, marking his third career game with at least 100 rushing yards. Running back Elijah Mitchell leads the team with 759 rushing yards this season, the third-most among rookies. He has 440 scrimmage yards (88 per game) and three rushing touchdowns in five career road games.
Tight end George Kittle has recorded at least 90 receiving yards in each of his past three games and at least 150 receiving yards in each of his past two road games. He aims for his third in a row on Thursday Night Football with a touchdown catch. Since entering the league in 2017, Kittle ranks second among tight ends with 4,429 receiving yards, the third-most ever by a tight end in his first five seasons. This season, the wide receiver Deebo Samuel leads the team with 1,088 receiving yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He has rushed for a touchdown in each of his past five games. He is one of three players in the league (Ja'Marr Chase and Cooper Kupp) with at least 1,000 receiving yards and 10 scrimmage touchdowns (12) this season.
Defensive lineman Nick Bosa currently ranks tied for second in the league with a career-high 15 sacks while leading the NFL with 18 tackles for loss. He can become the fourth player with a sack in eight consecutive road games since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic. He aims for his seventh in a row overall with a sack. Linebacker Fred Warner leads the team with 108 tackles, his fourth-consecutive season with at least 100 tackles since entering the league in 2018. In last week's victory, he recorded his sixth-career fumble recovery.
This season, Tennessee has a 5-2 record at home and is aiming for its first back-to-back 10-win seasons since 2007-08. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has rushed for a touchdown in each of the past two games, and he enters Week 16 ranking second among all quarterbacks with seven rushing touchdowns. Tannehill, who recorded seven rushing touchdowns in 2020, is the only quarterback in the league with at least seven rushing touchdowns in each of the past two seasons. Running back D'Onta Foreman had a career-high 135 scrimmage yards (108 rushing, 27 receiving) last week and has rushed for at least 100 yards in two of his past three games. Wide receiver Julio Jones has 23 receptions for 271 yards (135.5 per game) in two career games against San Francisco. In his past seven games on Thursday Night Football, Jones has totaled 916 receiving yards (130.9 per game).
Safety Kevin Byard has recorded at least five tackles in four of his past five games, and he leads all safeties this season with 13 passes defensed while tying for the lead among safeties with five interceptions. He is one of two AFC players (Marlon Humphrey) with at least seven passes defensed in each of the past five seasons. Linebacker Harold Landry leads the team with a career-high 11 sacks. He has recorded a sack in four of his past five home games. Linebacker Bud Dupree had his second sack of the season last week, and he aims for his third in a row on Thursday Night Football with at least two tackles for loss.
Preview courtesy of NFL Communications
Here is everything you need to know to follow the upcoming game.
When does the game start?
Thursday, December 23 at 5:20 p.m. PT
Where is the game being played?
Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee
Who are the head coaches?
49ers: Kyle Shanahan
Titans: Mike Vrabel
What channel is the game on?
Network: NFL Network
Play-by-Play: Kevin Burkhardt
Color Analyst: Greg Olsen
Sideline Reporter: Pam Oliver
What areas will receive the broadcast?
Monday night's game between the 49ers and Titans will air nationally for anyone with access to NFL Network.
Where can I stream the game?
Thursday Night Football is also available to watch on the Yahoo Sports app, NFL Network app, NFL app, and the official 49ers app. NFL Game Pass subscribers can stream the game in its entirety once the matchup has been completed.
Where can I listen to the radio broadcast?
Bay Area fans can listen on KGO 810 AM and KSAN 107.7 FM The Bone, where Greg Papa and Tim Ryan will call the game.
Jesús Zárate and Carlos Yustis will call the game in Spanish. That broadcast can be listened to at 49ers.com/news/Espanol.
Nashville area fans can listen on 104.5 The Zone, where Mike Keith and Dave McGinnis will call the game.
Nationally, fans can listen to the game via Westwood One Sports, where Ian Eagle and Tony Boselli will call the game.
SIRIUS: 81 (SF), 83 (Ten.), 88 (National)
XM: 226 (SF), 225 (Ten.), 88 (National)
SXM App: 827 (SF), 830 (Ten.), 88 (National)
Game discussion
Fans can discuss the game within our Niner Talk forum.
How has this series played out historically?
Matchups: 14
Series Record: 49ers lead series 9-5
49ers Home Record vs. Titans: 49ers lead series 4-3
49ers Away Record vs. Titans: 49ers lead series 5-2
First Meeting: 11/15/70, 49ers win 30-20, at Hou.*
Last Meeting: 12/17/17, 49ers win 25-23, at SF
Current Streak: Won 2
Longest 49ers Win Streak: 4 (12/13/81 – 10/7/90)
Longest Titans Win Streak: 2 – 2 times (Last 11/27/05 – 11/8/09)
Most 49ers Points: 34 (10/21/84): 49ers win 34-21, at Hou.
Most Titans Points: 34 (11/8/09): Titans win 34-27, at SF
49ers Shutouts: None
Titans Shutouts: None
*Houston Oilers
49ers Notes
- QB JIMMY GAROPPOLO had a TD vs. 0 INTs for a 123.7 passer rating last week. He has a 90+ rating in 8 straight games, the longest active streak in NFL. He passed for 381 yards and a TD vs. 0 INTs for a 106.8 passer rating in the last meeting. He has a 100+ rating and 0 INTs in 5 of his 6 road starts in 2021. He aims for his 4th in a row on the road with 2+ TD passes. He passed for 317 yards and 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs for a 136.9 passer rating in his only career start on TNF (10/31/19 at Az.).
- RB ELIJAH MITCHELL (rookie) has 440 scrimmage yards (88 per game) and 3 rushing TDs in 5 career road games.
- RB JEFF WILSON rushed for season-high 110 yards and had his 1st rushing TD of the season last week. It was his 3rd-career 100+ rushing yard game.
- TE GEORGE KITTLE has 4,429 rec. yards since 2017, the 3rd-most by a TE in his 1st 5 seasons. He has 34 catches for 461 yards (92.2 per game) and 4 rec. He has TDs in 5 road games in 2021. He aims for his 3rd in a row on the road with 150+ rec. yards, 3rd in a row on TNF, and 4th in a row on the road with TD catch.
- WR DEEBO SAMUEL has 685 scrimmage yards (114.2 per game) and 4 TDs (3 rush, 1 rec.) in 6 road games in 2021. He aims for his 3rd in a row on the road and 6th in a row overall with a rushing TD.
- DL NICK BOSA ranks tied-2nd in NFL with a career-high 15 sacks and leads the league with 18 TFL. He can become the 4th player with a sack in 8 straight road games since 1982. He aims for his 7th in a row with a sack.
- LB FRED WARNER had his 6th-career FR last week. He aims for his 8th in a row on the road with 7+ tackles.
- DL ARDEN KEY earned his career-high 5th sack of the season last week.